


Memories Hold You To The Past

by Ghost_Writing



Series: Overwatch One Shots and Drabbles [5]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, Canon Gay Character, Comfort, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gay, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Healthy Relationships, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Fareeha "Pharah" Amari/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Minor Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Other, Overwatch - Freeform, Overwatch Recall, Polyamory, Polyamory but make it healthy, Post-Fall of Overwatch, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes Redemption, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes is a Softie, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, i'm not sure which, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 10:06:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24469213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghost_Writing/pseuds/Ghost_Writing
Summary: *Reader is Gender-Neutral*Overwatch had been together again years now. You still remember when Winston had called recall, you’d been far too excited to wait to reply and immediately packed your bags. Within two days of the message going live, you were already back at the base.You'd never expected you'd find Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes alive years after the Swiss Headquarters incident. You find yourself reminiscing about the events that have lead up to you standing outside Gabriel's locked door with Jack cooking a few feet away from you.
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Reader, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison/Reader, Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison/Reader
Series: Overwatch One Shots and Drabbles [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1732453
Kudos: 19





	Memories Hold You To The Past

**Author's Note:**

> Due to Reader being genderless, the fact that Jack is gay never changes. Personal headcanons and preferences to your own liking.
> 
> An obligatory, writer does not speak Spanish. I dated a guy once who did, but I don't think that counts. If I got the names wrong, correct me, please.

Overwatch had been together again years now. You still remember when Winston had called recall, you’d been far too excited to wait to reply and immediately packed your bags. Within two days of the message going live, you were already back at the base. 

When you’d arrived, you found a few other members who’d also returned to Gibraltar, including one of your greatest friends and allies, Angela “Mercy” Zeigler. Catching up with your co-worker was exciting to you as she told you how she’d fallen in love with Commander Ana Amari’s daughter, Fareeha, and the two were now quite the inseparable couple. Which happened to be the reason she’d rejoined Overwatch.

It had taken all of three days after your arrival for Soldier 76 to appear at the base. The arrival of the world’s vigilante was a shock to all of you, except for Winston and Ana. She’d walked up to the tall, terrifying stranger who held an air of confidence and smacked him on the back of the head.

His visor had tumbled off from the force and you had found yourself staring into the eyes of Jack Morrison. A man you thought to be dead. A man who should’ve been dead. A man you’d mourned. A man you had loved and still did.

It had taken all your strength not to scream at him that day as he dragged you to a private room and explained everything. How he couldn’t find you, that he’d been searching for years for you and… Gabriel Reyes. The one other piece of your puzzle you’d also thought to be dead.

It took only two weeks of tip-toeing around each other for him to finally pin you late at night in the training room. So close to the wall and his beating heart, you’d pulled him down by the shirt collar and kissed him. The kiss was firmly cemented in your memory now, a long, passionate kiss fueled by longing and long-forgotten feelings. 

Your relationship resumed after that as if the pause button had finally clicked back to play once more. There were rocks on that path, always swaying your boat from side to side as Overwatch sent you two on missions and you’d spend hours patching him up afterwards. But the small details fizzled away, arguments became three simple words once someone had gotten heated, evolving into cuddles on the nearest surface and hugs that lasted for hours, or until someone fell asleep.

You hadn’t bothered with a separate room, finally being able to just hold each other at night and wake up with each other’s resting face next to you. Unlike when Overwatch had been officially “together” when you had to have separate quarters and simply slept over in either Jack or Gabe’s room at night, sometimes having them in yours as well.

But the memory of Gabe still lurked in the back of your mind like a void unfilled. This was made worse when the anniversary of the Swiss Headquarters incident (as it was referred to on the base, no one dared to call it anything else other than “the incident” or “that thing that happened” or “the break”). It had been twice that the anniversary had come and gone, each time the same. Everyone would get a week off, nothing would be expected and each member vented in their own way. For new members, that means going on missions if they’d pleased, and for old members, it meant reminiscing about the old days. You and Jack usually watched shitty news reports from the good old days and spent your time training.

That was until both of you had caught wind that Gabriel was alive. The news had reached your ears like a soft whisper, being an off-handed comment made by Ana herself. When you’d questioned her on it, she admitted to knowing his whereabouts but not wanting to get your hopes high when it was hopeless. You’d demanded to know and the feeling of your heart hitting your stomach like an anvil on a balloon was something you could never forget.

Jack hadn’t taken the news easier either, both of you debating what to do. You knew that Gabe would never actually join Talon, so why was he there? And how could you possibly get him out? And… would he even want to get out? 

It had taken many failed attempts, missions and messages before you had found yourself on the other side of the battlefield, staring at “Reaper” as he kept up his job as Talon’s heavy hitter.

You’d gripped your med-gear tightly as you signalled Jack. Both of you managed to corner “Reaper” during the battle and arrest him. However, rather than sending him to a public jail, everyone on the team had agreed to bring him back to Overwatch. So, he was stripped of anything that could track him and unceremoniously chucked into a van that allowed for no signal to track it. You and Jack had sat staring at him, still dressed in unrecognizable attire as he slouched against the wall off the van, constantly trying to phase out but unable to do so.

It had taken Angela and a team of medics approximately six months to stabilize him. By the time that they had, it was two months before the anniversary of the Swiss Headquarters. 

Each day, you’d go down to check his progress, but Angela insisted that you weren’t allowed on the team or near him to talk until he was stabilized. It was torture, for both you and Jack, and the two of you’d spent many sleepless nights wondering if he’d even recognize you or if this was a futile effort.

Talon, it seemed, never came for him. They didn’t even ask about him or demand him back when they’d take some of your soldiers during some of the more heated fights. This had put you more on the edge than you had liked, leading to you sleeping outside Gabe’s door some nights just to be close to him. Jack would bring a blanket and sit with you most nights, sometimes bringing you back to bed as well.

When Angela had finally managed to make a break-through and stabilize him with something that worked to continuously keep him solid and human, you’d been asleep on the small couch outside with Jack resting his head on your shoulder. She’d left the room to go find you, only to see you sleeping outside the door.

She’d waited to wake you, you wish she didn’t until Gabriel was thrashing in his restraints and demanding to know where you and Jack were. That was fifteen minutes after they’d stabilized him. You still tease him for that to this day.

When you’d stepped into the room, still half-asleep, a blanket haphazardly over your shoulders, a wrinkled black t-shirt and camo sweatpants sitting around your hips, with Jack right behind you, he’d instantly stopped. You had stood there for what felt like hours, the three of you in the same room, alone, and without any words to say.

His ghost-like form was a soft, human form now. He looked like the Gabriel you knew back when you were younger, minus the salt-and-pepper hair, the slight scruff on his chin and the sorrow hanging in his eyes.

Your hand went back to Jack’s, clinging onto him as you fought for something to say. Jack had saved you, walking up to Gabe and brushing his hand on his face, thumb stroking his cheek and palm cupping his jaw. You watched Gabe lean into the touch as if asking for more and quickly found yourself reaching for his hand. The three of you had stayed like that, not speaking, just revelling in the fact you were all alive and together.

Gabe had been the first to speak, his voice raspy and harsh:  
“I never thought I’d see either of you again. ‘Never thought I’d be able to love you two again.”

Those words stuck to you like glue. They would till the end of the time. Your reply had been simple, a kiss to his lips. Jack as well.

Gabe had been untied once he explained why he was in Talon in the first place. He had wanted to tear the organization down from the inside out but had gotten too trapped by Moira’s experiments to get out. You had shivered at the mention of your former co-worker and her now-controversial line of work. There had been a time you’d gotten along with her quite well, having a sort-of relationship with her at Oasis, but her line of work got worse and worse and you’d quickly left in search for a better job and safety from her.

With Gabe finally back, your lives were complete. It became a domestic blur of training, early mornings and fighting crime. Gabe was always the one who cooked. He never let Jack near the stove on account of him “thinking salt is a spice”. You agreed with Jack, but you never let it be known, cooking with Gabe was far too much fun and you knew that Jack would sadden from not being able to have your signature omelets for breakfast on Sunday mornings. The only day everyone had off and no one was allowed to take missions on (unless they were requested, in which case they took the next available day, usually Saturday or Monday).

Things had been going well for a while. Gabe was ecstatic when the news that a former-friend/former-mutually-adopted daughter Sombra had escaped Talon and was now living free from their controlling terror. That night he’d celebrated with far too much tequila and sex for your taste, but, hey, he was happy so you went along. You had your days too, so you kept your mouth shut for the night. Besides, he was far more likely to give the bone-chilling sensory deprivation that his mist caused during sex when he was in a good mood.

Then, the anniversary of the Swiss Headquarters incident finally rolled around. It was exactly two months and three weeks after Gabe had been stabilized. None of you knew what was going to happen or what to expect.

* * *

Gabe had decidedly locked himself in his room without you, you’d decided when Athena had promptly told you he’d implemented privacy protocols on the highest setting, including you and Jack specifically.

Gabe had his own room for two reasons. 

One, he enjoyed the privacy of being able to slip away for a moment and hide if need be. He wasn’t used to being back on the base and having his own little area that no one was allowed in, but him, you and Jack made him feel safer. 

Two, it wasn’t really ‘his’ room. It came with your quarters when you moved in with Jack, a room for you or any possible children you may have. You’d yet to discuss that touchy subject with either of them on the account of Gabe having a possibility of being sterile. So, the room had been turned into a spare room that Gabe frequented. 

So, with a defeated sigh, you turned and shrugged at Jack who was in the process of cooking his infamous burgers. A tradition that you’d done on the anniversary for the last two years and had no plans to stop.

He nodded to you, flipping the burgers over.  
“Sorry sweetheart, it’s hard on him. We have a little experience with each other for this week, he doesn’t. I’ll make his burger anyway, maybe he’ll eat it if we ‘slide it under the door’.” He kisses your head lightly as you walk over to help fix the buns with condiments, the burgers nearly done. 

“I know… but I wish he’d talk to us at least, we might be able to help him,” you sigh back, spreading relish on Jack’s bun defeatedly. 

You knew the preferred condiments for each of your boys, as well as some of the other Overwatch members, thanks to having ‘cook-outs’ for team moral. They were usually just large barbeques on the landing pad that had placed you in charge of fixing food with Jack and Gabe cooking. 

You felt like Overwatch’s parent trio too often.

“He’ll ask for it if he needs. For now, we give him space. After dinner let’s go on a walk, see if we can watch the stars from the training grounds,” Jack suggests, serving you a burger just the way you like it.

“Yeah… I know. It’s still hard to see him like this,” You huff, closing your bun and finish the others.

“I know, love… I know,” Jack quietly mumbled as he garnished his burger with a little salt and pepper as you served steak-fries onto the plates.

Gabe’s plate was placed in the food tray next to the door to the room Gabe was in. It was installed in every room in the quarters, including at the front entryway. It was helpful when someone got sick so no one had to actually enter the room in order to bring them food. You suppose, in a way, Gabe was sick right now.

You made sure Anethna let Gabe know about the burger before going to the balcony to eat with Jack.

The balcony overlooked the sea underneath the base. The rolling waves that crashed into the dirty bank miles below you created a calming scent and sound. White noise filled the silence between you and Jack as you ate.

Neither of you spoke much during these weeks. It was too much to have the memories replaying in your mind and to hold a conversation as well that you found silence your greatest friend.

Normally, you might have wanted to talk about the experience. Had it not been the Swiss Headquarters, you might have even laughed about it now. Had it not been _the_ incident it might have even been a distant memory and you would’ve simply dragged Gabe out of his room.

But with tonight being the exact date, you found yourself silent. Listening to the waves below you and the ‘gulls chirp as you finished your burger and fries.

Jack and you had done the dishes after you’d finished before you left on the walk. Hesitantly, you told Gabe’s door where you were going, asking if he’d join. When no response came, you sighed defeatedly and allowed Jack to walk you out of the room.

You weren’t naive. You knew the incident was affecting Jack as much, or more likely, worse, than you. But his emotions developed differently. His were more reserved, pushed away in exchange for a smile on his face.

He kept that smile the whole night as you gazed at the stars in his arms. You’d managed to find the perfect spot to watch the stars as the cool night air gently blew across your skin. You shivered a little in his arms from the breeze and he suggests you retire to your room.

With another defeated sigh, you rose to your feet with him, lingering a few more moments before heading back inside. On your way in, you passed by Genji Shimada throwing his shurikens angrily at training bots. You decided not to say anything, exchanging a mere nod as you walked past. 

It was best to leave a grieving soldier alone.

At least, that was your moto most of the time. When it came to Gabe, you hesitantly resigned from the moto. It worked great when Jack was upset after a mission and slept alone for the night, but when Gabe was upset, he was always seeking out affection. It was much like saving a battered kitten from the cold. He’d curl up in your arms the entire night, letting you pet his hair as he drifted in and out of consciousness, occasionally going to the balcony and venting with you while Jack continued to sleep. Once he was out, he was _out_.

That’s why Gabe’s behaviour irked you. It was unusual for him. You’d share this with Jack, but he just shook his head, telling you to “let sleeping dogs lie” while the two of you dressed down for bed.

You found it impossible to fall asleep. Even with Jack’s snores next to you and your head resting against his chest, the beat of his head and the weight of his arm around your back only making your tired state more prominent. Still, you tossed and turned, squirming to get comfortable for a sleep that never came.

Your mind had been on the most recent mission you’d been out on. It was a small team job, escorting a special package that had to be protected at all costs from Talon. It was a slow job and you’d found yourself chatting constantly with Jesse and Genji, the two quick aims you’d brought.

They had reminisced with you about the good-old-days of Blackwatch. When everyone had been a tightly knit family that somehow had dragged Jack Morrison into the mix by his association with the commander and one of their medics. The “family” Christmas parties that had been held with a mandatory ugly sweater dress code, or the Easter “egg” hunt that Gabe had sent everyone on to boost our skills on finding camouflage enemies.

Overall, it had been nice to remember the past with them. You barely spent enough time with either on account of Jesse constantly chasing after Hanzo and Genji pining for Jesse, both of them drowning themselves in missions to forget their haphazard crushes, somehow almost always managing to be placed with the person in question or the other. You chalked it up to Ana, she was the one always creating the mission plans and going on about her “children finally being happy”. Whatever that meant.

You’d been so stuck on the memory that you barely registered the bed dipping behind you as someone sat down. When you finally realized, due to choked, uncharacteristic sobs rippling through the room, you wormed your way out of Jack’s arm.

When you’d sat up, your eyes landed on the dimly lit Gabriel. He was hunched in a ball, knees to his chest and arms on his knees with his head resting on top of that. He was smoking, badly, a sign of distress.

With an air of caution, your hand reached up and rested on his back, rubbing it slowly. He leaned into the touch so much that he slumped against your side. You continued your hand motions, letting him wrap his arms around your torso.

He sobbed for quite some time, letting it all out in the darkroom as your hand continued to rub back and forth with the other idly playing in his hair. Soft whispers left your lips, none of them meant much more than to calm him down.

“I must look like a blubbering idiot _mi cielito_ …” he finally hiccuped, his face pressed into the fabric of your t-shirt, muffling the words further.

A gently sigh left your lips and you rested your head on his.  
“No Gabe, you don’t. We all need to cry sometimes. Now is a far too appropriate time to do so,” You reply, fingers dancing in the soft curls of his hair.

A whine followed by another set of sobs left his lips, only interrupted by the shuffling of something next to you.

Jack sat up in bed, taking one look at you and then Gabe and getting up silently. He gently shifted you two down the bed so you were in the warm spot he’d been, and then brought back three glasses of water, setting them on the nightstand before settling down on Gabe’s other side.

“Finally out of your room, eh?” Jack chuckled, wrapping his arms around Gabe’s middle.

“I’m sorry, okay? I just wanted to… I don’t know…” Gabe protested. The words spun in your mind a few times. It was rare that Gabe apologized, even sarcastically, so to hear the words leave his lips set off a tiny alarm in the back of your mind.

Jack kissed the nape of Gabe’s neck.  
“Nah, it’s fine. You don’t have’ta apologize. It’s the anniversary, we’re all upset,” he assured him, getting him to sit up a little and drink some water.

Gabe gulped down nearly half a glass. The glasses Jack brought back were tall, one’s usually on reserved for when you made special drinks and didn’t want to remake them constantly.

“You’re not mad with me… right?” Gabe finally mumbled, sandwiched between us lying down.

“No Gabe, we’re not mad. It wasn’t your fault,” Jack reassured him, a conversation that had repeated itself far too many times with the three of you. 

“Are you sure…?” Gabe whispered through a yawn, snuggling closer to you. 

“Positive love. You’re our little kitten, we couldn’t possibly be mad at you,” you reply quietly, kissing his forehead.

He snorted at the nickname, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.  
“Again with that? Is it ever going to end?”

“Nah, you’re my kitten because you only accept affection on your own terms and are too picky for your own good. And Jack is my puppy because he runs after anything that moves, he’s too affectionate for his own good, and can’t remember his own strength,” you explain, much to the delight of Jack, who chuckles behind Gabe at the comment.

Gabe pauses as if contemplating the speculation for a moment before wrapping his arms around your torso.  
“It’s too late for this _mi alma_ ,” Gabe mumbles into your chest, the pet name causing blush the spread across your cheeks.

You didn’t know much Spanish, but that wasn’t for lack of trying. You’d attempted to pay attention in Spanish class, but to no avail, as your friends kept distracting you at each chance they could.

You did know the names Gabe chose to call you, this one translating to “my soul”. He called you it frequently, having separate ones he called you and Jack, as well as one’s he interchanged.

“You’re the one who was still up, boo,” Jack argues, curling around Gabe’s tired form, and by correlation, your’s.

“Not for lack of trying, _cariño_ ,” Gabe protests, sleep hanging heavy in his voice as you find yourself struggling to stay awake and follow the conversation.

“Sleep, both of you, we have a whole week to talk about this,” you whisper as Gabe’s arms wrap around your middle and pull you closer to him.

“Whatever you wish _mi amor_ ,” Gabe concedes finally, his form slumping behind you as he drifts off. “Goodnight to both of you, _mi vida_ ,” he whispers into your shoulder.

“Goodnight loves,” you mumble back, a yawn breaking your sentence.

Jack doesn’t respond, snores already coming from his mouth. 

Sleep takes you fast as well, and you fall asleep in a more peaceful state of mind than you had before, knowing both of your loves were safe and sound nearby and at an arms reach.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I kinda set this up as a longer fic than it was meant... oops?
> 
> Lowkey super happy over the anniversary event rn. I didn't know that Soldier 24 skin was a thing... as a Reaper main, I now own it. And I mean, how could I not? My daddy issues are too strong...
> 
> As usual, kudos, comment and check out my page!


End file.
